The invention pertains to the field of data storage systems.
In the field of data storage systems, it is known to utilize an arrangement in which a storage processor is implemented in a self-contained assembly, such as a rack-mountable enclosure, and storage elements such as disk drives are packaged in additional assemblies and coupled to the storage processor by high-speed storage buses, such as Small Computer System Interconnect (SCSI) or Fibre Channel buses. Similar high-speed buses are used to interconnect the storage processor with one or more host computers that utilize the storage resources provided by the storage system during operation. This arrangement can be beneficial for storage installations in which some degree of growth of storage requirements is expected. A customer may purchase an initial system including a storage processor assembly and one or more disk drive assemblies, and purchase additional disk drive assemblies as the customer's storage needs grow. Much of the specialized functionality related to controlling the operation of the storage system is concentrated in the storage processor assembly, while somewhat lower-level operations of specific data storage operations are performed in lower-cost circuitry that may be replicated within each disk drive assembly.